About the Church

History of St Mary's Woburn Sands

Prior to 8th July 1926, the Catholics of Woburn Sands had no parish church instead they would travel to Mass at Leighton Buzzard or Bletchley.

The first Mass at Woburn Sands was celebrated in the Club Room of the Fir Tree Hotel by Canon Tonks of Bedford. In 1929/1930 Father Banham, was appointed as the first parish priest of Woburn Sands and Masses continued to be held in rooms of the Fir Tree Hotel whilst fund raising continued for a new church. In 1930, an army hut was donated by a parish in St Neots and brought to Woburn Sands, to be re-erected on a site at the corner of Wood Street and Theydon Avenue. This was the first bespoke church building. On th 21st February 1939 Father Golston, was appointed to the Mission of Woburn Sands in succession to Father Cyril Banham and fund raising for a proper church continued.

At the end of 1939. Miss Chichester's donation to Father Golston's church building fund finally enabled plans for the new church to be built and it as opend on 2nd July 1956. At the opening service Father Golston was assisted by Father P.Carey (Bletchley) and Father R.Manley (High Wycombe). Amongst the many priests present was Father R Atkinson who, as boy, used to sometimes to travel from Bedford with Canon Dalby to serve Mass at the 'Fir Tree'.

Parish priests of St Mary's

Father Banham 1929/30-1939

Father Edmund "Ted" Golston 1939-1985

Canon S A Condon 1985-2004

Father David (interim parish priest) 2004

Father Ken Bowen 2004 to date

Useful links

A detailed account of the early years of the church's history was written by Father Golston and is available at www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsc/docs/CatholicChurch.html

Father Stan's memoirs can be found at scond.com